Certification Training Overview

Certification Requirements

Under the Occupational Health & Safety Act, employers are required to have at least two members of the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) trained in health and safety. They will have specific responsibilities under the Act and are referred to as “certified members”.

OSACH’s certification training will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to fulfill the legislated duties of a certified member. It will also help prepare them to support their organization’s internal responsibility system, an integral component in preventing workplace injuries and illnesses, assessing and eliminating hazards, as well as enhancing health and safety performance.

The certification process consists of two phases:
Part I Basic Certification and
Part II workplace hazard training
(also known as Sector Specific Certification).

Certification Training Schedule

• Click here for the 2011 Basic Certification Schedule

Basic Certification

Basic Certification training must be delivered by a WSIB-approved Certification provider, and consists of four main components:

     Health and Safety Law

• Legislation
• Policies and programs
• The Joint Health and Safety Committee
• Certified members

     Hazard Identification and Control

• Safety hazards
• Health hazards
• Health and safety hazard identification
• Health and safety hazard assessment
• Health and safety hazard control

     Investigation Techniques

     Prevention Resources

Sector Specific Certification

Designed to complement Basic Certification, Sector Specific Certification assists joint health and safety committee members with issues particular to their work environment.

Employers are offered two Sector Specific Certification options. The first is a two-day sector based program focusing on hazards common to the majority of workplaces in a sector. OSACH offers 5 Sector Specific Certification programs:

• Acute Care
• Community Care
• Long-Term Care
• Group Homes
• Laboratories

The second option is based on a workplace hazard assessment by the employer. Training must be conducted on hazards identified during the hazard assessment. OSACH offers 13 modules that may be combined into half or full-day sessions to meet the training needs for the significant hazards identified:

• Infection Prevention and Control
• Safe Client Handling
• Workplace Violence Prevention
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Slip & Fall Prevention
• Emergency Management and Fire Safety
• Preventing Aggression in Clients with Dementia
• Safe Driving
• Indoor Air Quality
• Chemical Hazards
• Radiation Safety
• Contractor Safety – Acute and Long-term Care

Please note that Sector Specific Certification training must be identical for both management-designated and worker JHSC members and that successful completion of both Parts I & II are required to become certified.

Sector Specific Training  Schedule

• Click here for the 2011 Sector Specific Schedule